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Project # 36
What factors contribute to the increased complication rate of intraocular lens implantation in pediatric patients?

Team Lead: Precious Obafemi
Other Team Members: Katherine Zoller | Samira Izuagbe | Tejas Alankar | Feabie Mendiaz | Bhavya Vanish
Faculty Advisor(s): Dr liping Tang
Department: BE
Project Type: Other Undergraduate
Title: What factors contribute to the increased complication rate of intraocular lens implantation in pediatric patients?
Abstract: Implantation of intraocular lens (IOLs) is a common treatment for patients with cataracts. However, some patients may develop secondary cataracts due to a Posterior Capsule Opacification (PCO). While PCO rates among adults are <20%, nearly all children with IOL implants develop PCO. The mechanisms governing these unique age-dependent complications are not totally understood. Although adult and children lenses have different dimension (adult lenses are flatter and aspherical, while pediatric lenses are curved and spherical), only one-size IOL, approved by the FDA for patients > 18-years-old, is commercially available for all patients. We hypothesized that the IOL/lens capsule mismatching may promote PCO formation in pediatric patients. To test the hypothesis, we made tissue-mimetic lens capsules from 8-, 25-, and 65-year-old patients. We found that pediatric (8-year-old) lens capsules had a poor physical fit with IOLs, unlike adult lenses, resulting in a large interface space between IOL and lens capsules. This space allows for the proliferation of lens epithelial cells, leading to PCO formation. A tight fit between adult (25- and 65-year-old) lens capsules and IOLs reduced their cellular activity. These findings reveal that the size mismatch between pediatric lens capsules and adult-sized IOLs contributes to high PCO rates in children.
Poster: View Poster #36 (PDF)
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